Theme parks turn summer into playtime paradise

According to the Institute for Theme Park Studies in China, every 1 yuan (14 US cents) earned by a theme park can generate 3.8 yuan for the city and drive 6 to 15 yuan in revenue for upstream and downstream industries.

Data from the institute shows that as of October 2024, there were 385 theme parks nationwide. In 2023, 86 key theme parks in China welcomed 130 million visitors and generated more than 30 billion yuan in revenue, representing increases of 71.84 percent and 97.86 percent year-on-year, respectively. With such a large market scale, China has become a hot spot for global theme park investments.

Popland, also known as the Pop Mart City Park, with its popular IPs such as Labubu, has become a hit in Beijing's Chaoyang Park. According to Qunar, bookings at the park in June rose sixfold year-on-year due to Labubu's growing popularity.

In South China's Guangdong province, the gigantic Qingyuan Changlong Resort is set to open its doors soon.

Lin Huanjie, head of the Institute for Theme Park Studies in China, says that in the next few years, several large theme parks will open, centered on IPs from animation, film, and culture.

The new parks will further enrich the product supply of the domestic theme park market, meet consumers' increasingly diversified needs, and elevate the theme park economy to new heights, Lin adds.

Recently, Universal Beijing Resort launched its summer signature limited-time event Universal Cool Summer, featuring a comprehensive upgrade of graduation-themed interactions and the return of the Universal Cool Summer performance and Hogwarts events. Running throughout the summer, the program aims to ignite seasonal excitement.

In the ancient town of Fengjing in Jinshan district, a LEGO brick installation art exhibition has been set up in the heart of the scenic area. Visitors can search for hidden LEGO characters while touring the ancient architecture and exchange limited-edition badges after completing tasks.

"While exploring the ancient town, children play treasure hunt games, which significantly increases their interest in historical buildings," says a tourist surnamed Zhu.

Driven by technological progress and growing market demand, China's theme park industry is expected to expand, offering higher-quality services and stronger innovation in the future, according to Lin.